


Krimson Waters

by Lady_of_Rohan



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Art, Digital Art, Fantasy, Illustrated, M/M, Mermen, Mouth-to-Mouth, Underwater, mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 05:57:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8566612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Rohan/pseuds/Lady_of_Rohan
Summary: Mermen AU! Why? Because I can.When Joseph goes missing outside of Krimson Reef, Sebastian must locate him, and learns of a potential threat to their people.Story artwork included in text!





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt fill for my sweet babes Merkitty and Dragons on tumblr! They both asked "underwater kiss" for Joseb, and it got a bit out of hand because the first thing that came to mind was... MERMEN! So instead of writing a drabble, I wrote a fic! 
> 
> I already have a noir AU, Fallout AU, vampire AU, Pokemon AU... so why not add some underwater adventures to the list?
> 
> I'm also INCREDIBLY HONORED to have done this as collab with my amazingly talented friend Meiri! Seriously, I've admired their gorgeous artwork for so long. I'm so happy! Please check out more of their incredible work on their tumblr! http://gotta-art-gotta-scream.tumblr.com/
> 
> EDIT: my bestie Chan also contributed some awesome art omg! Please check out her artwork at the end of the fic, give her tumblr a visit! http://mabodon.tumblr.com/

His powerful striped tail propelling him closer to the shore, Sebastian had been searching for his missing partner for hours. Exhaustion kicking in, along with a panic that rose in his chest, he was determined to locate him... hoping to Poseidon himself that no ill had befallen him.  
  
The worst part was, it wasn't the first time that this had happened.  
  
The only clue so far, had been Joseph's favored glasses, a relic collected many years ago in the remnants of a sunken ship. While Joseph didn't need them to aid with his sight underwater, a preferred sense of fashion, Sebastian knew that the younger man never left home without them. The fact that they were discarded on the ocean floor, now clutched in Sebastian's hand for safe-keeping, seemed ominous.  
  
He swam as swiftly as he could, at last surfacing when he'd nearly reached land. Head above water, and muscled arms treading, Sebastian surveyed his surroundings, looking for any sign of the missing merman.  
  
"Joseph? Joseph!"  
  
What he saw as he swam closer to shore increased his pounding heart rate tenfold. A pale figure supine in the sand, distinctive blue and yellow fins only halfway in the water as the waves lazily lapped against his form, occasionally washing over his caudal fin. It was clear that he wasn't moving.  
  
Sebastian swore he'd never moved so quickly in his life.  
  
Muscled arms pulling his weight upon the beach, elbows in the sand, Sebastian came to shore enough to observe the other man, but not enough to potentially beach himself. Laying closely beside him, a warm palm was against Joseph's face, examining his unblinking features.  He didn't look well at all as he gave his cheek a pat.  
  
"Joseph! Hey, stay with me!"  
  
Unsurprisingly, he received no answer. Amber eyes glancing over Joseph's pallid chest, he was disturbed to find that he was barely breathing, chest rising shallowly, hardly perceptible as the man wheezed for air.  
  
Sebastian, though concerned, was thankful that he'd found him when he did... before something, or someone else did.  
  
There was still a chance. There had to be.  
  
He was likely dehydrated, if he had been laying in the sun for any extended amount of time. While they were gifted with the ability to breathe air, Joseph's scales risked damage, and his gills required moisture. He'd die if he stayed like this.  
  
Clumsily replacing his glasses on his face, one hand was soon cradling the back of Joseph's now-dry head, fingers entangled in dark hair, and the other coming to rest behind the bend of his tail. Sebastian grunted as he carefully dragged Joseph's smaller form back into the water.  
  
Though Joseph was limp in his arms, Sebastian refused to let him sink, and as they reached deeper waters, he soon found his mouth desperately pressed to his unconscious partner's lips. It was the only way. His skin felt disturbingly cold as he breathed air into his lungs, bubbles forming between their liplock.

  
  
Terror was spiking through him when Joseph didn't respond, offering another mouthful of air as Joseph rested limply in his arms. His palm at the nape of his neck brushed tenderly against dampened locks, holding him close.  
  
"Come on, Joseph," he grunted in frustration.  
  
Eyes opened, frantically searching Joseph's features after another forceful huff, before he moved in again. This time, it garnered a cough, and the flutter of lashes as Joseph regarded him at last, looking more than a little dazed, but very much _alive_. On instinct, his tail fin was swishing instead of floating limply, able to support himself in the water, albeit weakly. Still, arms upon the other man's waist, Sebastian refused to let him go until he was absolutely certain he'd be okay.  
  
"Seb?"  
  
"Welcome back," he said gruffly, attempting not to betray the emotions that seemed to be drowning him. His hand patted the side of Joseph's vibrant hip. "Thought I lost you there."  
  
His demeanor, however, must have offered a clue, as Joseph instantly looked apologetic. "I'm sorry if I scared you..."  
  
"It's all right," he brushed it off, not wanting to take this conversation further. "What the _hell_ happened?"  
  
Joseph shook his head, a hand raised to adjust his glasses.  
  
"I had another vision."  
  
Sebastian's lips twisted into a frown, scarred brow knitting.  
  
" _Again_?"  
  
A solemn nod, as Joseph looked somewhat haunted, eyes glossy.  
  
"The last thing I remember is... this voice. Inside my head. And... then I saw him again."  
  
"You mean...?"  
  
"Yeah. The burned one.  He was just outside of the reef, so I followed him, but... I must have blacked out. I don't recall getting so close to the shore."  
  
Joseph wasn't the first to have an account of seeing a scarred-up, wan figure, wandering the outskirts of town, with the tail of a beluga. There were a handful of sightings around Krimson, but Sebastian had never seen him for himself. Not yet, at least. It seemed his preferred bone to pick was his partner's, and he didn't like it one bit. With the rising crime in their city, and a slew of missing persons, it only increased a sense of paranoia among their people.  
  
Sebastian, personally, had the unnerving feeling that he was some kind of ghost, as crazy as that sounded. It wasn't unheard of that malicious spirits inhabited their waters, but whatever he was, he was utterly determined to serve him some proper justice when he got his hands on him.  
  
"Well, next time, you come get me before going on some wild goose chase," Sebastian said, at last removing his hands from Joseph, as he crossed his arms across his broad chest. "No more going it alone, all right? We're partners for a reason."  
  
His scolding tone hadn't meant to come off harshly, but the fear he'd just experienced was still in the forefront of his thoughts. Joseph gave another nod as he swallowed hard, most likely regretful.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"And Joseph?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm glad you're all right."  
  
The brief tension dissipating between them, that at least got a smile out of the other man, as he reached out to pat his pallid bicep.  
  
"Guess we should head back home, and get you looked at. Think you can swim?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
That was good enough for him, as Sebastian led the way back towards Krimson Reef. Joseph was found relatively far out, so they had quite the journey ahead of them. Their swim was silent, passing schools of fish, glowing jellyfish, and the occasional shark or manta ray. Joseph kept closely beside him, until he spoke again about halfway back home, causing him to turn his head as he was acknowledged. Whatever was bugging him had clearly took a while to surface, as he'd been particularly quiet.  
  
"Sebastian... I need to ask you something."  
  
"Hrm?"  
  
"Back there... when I was, well... you know. Did you--?"  
  
Though Joseph couldn't will himself to finish the sentence, Sebastian heard it loud and clear. His heart seemed to cease beating momentarily.  
  
_Did you kiss me?_  
  
"It was mouth to mouth, Joseph," Sebastian said, as he slowed a bit and shrugged. "I did what anyone would."  
  
"I see."  
  
What he couldn't voice was that his heart had been thudding ever since, breathing not quite regular. What he'd thought was fear, might be something else entirely, and that scared him more than anything.  
  
He consoled himself that anyone would fear losing their best friend. It was, after all, completely natural... wasn't it?  
  
Swimming ahead a bit, unable to deal with the somewhat disappointed tone in Joseph's voice, Sebastian couldn't help but brush his fingers against his own lips, contemplating how it had felt, the softness of Joseph's mouth against his own.  
  
He thought, perhaps, that it was a consideration for another day... or maybe not at all.  
  
After all, with such an elusive threat, he had bigger fish to fry.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If you guys want more, be sure to review! Otherwise, I'm just gonna keep chugging along with Of Sound Mind :) 
> 
> Also a music video that always inspires me and probably got me into Mermen in the first place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q2WS6ahCnY
> 
> And the full list of underwater life I've picked for all the TEW characters, in case you're curious!  
> Joseph: blue tang  
> Sebastian: tiger shark  
> Ruvik: beluga whale  
> Laura: red betta  
> Myra: octopus  
> Connelly: clown fish  
> Kidman: purple tropical fish  
> Leslie: crowntail white betta  
> Administrator: lionfish  
> Tatiana: emperor red snapper  
> Jimenez: baldchin groper


End file.
